1) Field of the Invention
The invention is related to a floor treating machine comprising a frame, a housing connected rotatably to the frame according to a main rotation axis, at least three heads which are suspended rotatably with respect to the housing according to respective auxiliary rotating axes which are generally parallel to the main rotation axis, as well as a number of drive motors which is at least equal to the number of heads, wherein each head is connected to the shaft of its own respective drive motor.
The floor treating machine in question can be used for several purposes, such as for the grinding of floors consisting of natural stone, such as marble. However, the floor treating machine in question can also be used for grinding concrete surfaces. Furthermore, applications in the field of cleaning are possible, and further applications are related to the field of polishing. Dependent on the type of use, the heads are provided with suitable discs for e.g. grinding purposes, cleaning purposes, polishing purposes etc.
2) Description of the Related Art
A floor treating machine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,719,659, and comprises a frame or main supporting member with a central hub portion from which three interconnected supporting arms extend radially outwardly. In turn, the three supporting arms are provided with terminal hub portions at their free ends, onto which terminal hub portions C-shaped frames are connected. The heads are connected to the lower end of said C-shaped frames. Furthermore, each C-shaped frame carries an electric drive motor connected to a respective head.
By means of an intricate system of rods and sliding members, a self-travelling function of the floor treating machine is obtained once the heads are brought into rotation by their respective drive motors. In this connection, the three interconnected supporting arms are rotated dependent on the rotation of the heads.
The disadvantage of this prior art floor treating machine is related to its complicated structure, including sliding members and the rods which are prone to damage and soiling which could lead to malfunctions.
The object of the invention is to provide a floor treating machine of the type described before which is of a more simple layout and which nevertheless is able to provide good results concerning manoeuvrability. Furthermore, the floor treating machine should be able to provide a high quality finishing operation.